Tomato Juice Substitute

You are in the kitchen preparing your kid's favorite dish for which you need lots of tomato juice. So you open your refrigerator to take out one bottle, but to your amazement, there is no juice left. So what to do? The stores are closed, and your neighbor has gone South for the holidays. Does that mean that your kids, to whom you had promised his favorite dish, will not have one? Well, I guess not. You use your commonsense and use tomato juice substitute instead. If you don't know how to make it, don't worry. Here are some tips on what can be used instead of the juice.

Is it a Fruit or a Vegetable?

The French's call it 'apple of love' and the Germans calls it 'the apple of paradise'. No matter what people call it, tomatoes are the world's most loved fruits. More than 60 million tons of these fruits are produced every year. All thanks to the Aztecs and the Incas, who had cultivated tomatoes for the first time in 700 AD. Explorers from Mexico, introduced this fruit in Europe during the 16th century and from there, it became known to the rest of the world. Besides the tomatoes, the juice became very popular among the people. But what if you do not have any juice, what can you substitute it with? Let's see.

Incorporating Substitutes

One way in which you can the substitute for cooking is with tomato sauce. If instead of juice you have just the tomato sauce, then take cup of tomato sauce and cup of water and mix it. You will have 1 cup of the juice. Instead of sauce if you have only tomato paste, mix 3 table spoons of tomato paste with 1 cup of water, and voila! you have one cup of the juice. You can also add salt or sugar (as per taste) if you want to. Now let's see how tomatoes are beneficial to us.

The Benefits

It goes without saying that tomato juice is a highly beneficial drink. Let's see what are the benefits first and then we will talk about the substitute.

• The tomatoes consist of an organic compound called the lycopene. This is the one which gives a red color to the tomato. This also helps in preventing cancer. It acts against cancers like colorectal, breast, prostate, pancreatic and also lung cancer. It also protects the DNA in the white blood cells.
• The nutrition level is pretty high. They are rich in vitamins like Vitamins A and C, which helps the immune system in our body. Tomato juice also consists of vitamins K, B1, B2, B3, B5,B6, and also potassium, magnesium, iron and phosphorous.
• The potassium content in the juice helps us being flexible and improves our muscular strength. It also removes any kind of toxins from our body and strengthens our body joints.
• The Vitamin C in the juice, improves our immunity. It helps fight cold and resists other viruses from entering our body.
• Another benefit is that it helps in bringing down the cholesterol level in our body. It consists of B3 which is called niacin, that allows the breakdown of the cholesterol level.
• Vitamin B6 in the juice also protects from any heart disease threats.
• Girls, and even boys, who are suffering from the problem of acne, can benefit from the use of the juice. Apply raw juice on the affected area, keep it for a few minutes and then wash it off with warm water. For long-lasting results, you have to do this regularly.
• No matter how much juice you drink everyday, you will have no side effects. Even for the diabetic patients this drink is absolutely safe. In fact they should take it more as the juice reduces the sugar level in the urine. It also helps in losing weight fast. This is one of the most important benefits.

Now, you don't have to worry about not being able to make your child's favorite dish. Thinking that the taste might change? Well, rest assured that the taste will be just the same. Try it out!